II.

Argument:  Christ was not a man before the creation of the world.  Therefore

it is not rightly said that the man Christ created the world.  Or thus:  When

the world was created, Christ did not create it as a man [tamquam homo]. 

Therefore it is not rightly said that a man created the world.

Response:  There is the communication of attributes; and moreover [this is] a

philosophical argument.  This stands:  The natures are distinct, but after

that communication, there is a union, that is, there is one person, not two

persons.  But that person is God and man, one and the same person, who was

before the creation of the world; even though he was not man born of the

Virgin Mary before the world, nonetheless he was the Son of God, who is now

man.  Thus, for example, when I see a king in purple and crowned on his

throne, I say, "This king was born of a woman, naked and without a crown." 

How can this be, and yet he sits on a great throne crowned and clothed in

purple?  But these things he put on after he was made king, and yet

nonetheless he is one and the same person; and so too here in Christ God and

man are joined in one person and must not be distinguished.  But it is true

that Christ created the world before he was made man, and yet such a strict

unity exists that it is impossible to say different things [of the divinity

and the humanity].  Therefore whatever I say of Christ as man, I also say

rightly of God, that he suffered, was crucified.

Objection:  But God cannot be crucified or suffer.

Response:  This is true, when he was not yet man.  From eternity he has not

suffered; but when he was made man, he was passible.  From eternity he was

not man; but now being conceived by the Holy Ghost, that is, born of the

Virgin, God and man are made one person, and the same things are truly said

of God and man [sunt eadem praedicata Dei et hominis].  Here the personal

union is accomplished.  Here the humanity and divinity are joined [Da gehet's 

ineinander humanitas et divinitas].  The union holds everything together [Die

unitas, die helt's].  I confess that there are two natures, but they cannot

be separated.  This is accomplished by the union [unitas], which is a greater

and stronger union [coniunctio] than that of soul and body, because soul and

body are separated, but never the immortal and divine nature and the mortal

human nature [in Christ], but they are united in one person.  That is to say,

Christ, the impassible Son of God, God and man, was crucified under Pontius

Pilate.

Objection:  Again, what is immortal cannot become mortal. God is immortal. 

Therefore he cannot become mortal.

Response:  In philosophy, this is true.